Improvement in fire-extinguishers



W. K. PLATT.

Fire-Extinguishers.

Patented April 1 ||||||||l {Ill J AM. PHamumosRAPu/c ca v.2 (manuals Pmcssg) UNITED STATES PATENT FIfiE.

WILLIAM K. PLATT, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND ARTHUR M. GREENE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-EXTINGUlSHERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 137,481, dated April 1, 1873; application filed January 17, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM K. PLATT, of Camden, Camden county, New Jersey, have invented an Improved Fire-Extinguisher, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is a fire-extinguishing apparatus capable of resisting great internal pressure; of being conveniently and steadily carried upon the back of the operator; of being readily charged and instantly prepared for service after charging, and which will not be subject to corrosion of the parts and leakage, owing to contact with the chemicals, nor likely to be rendered inoperative if tampered with by unauthorized persons.

I obtain these advantages by constructing the extinguisher as best observed in the perspective view, Figure 1, and sectional eleva-,

tion, Fig. 2, of the accompanying drawing, in the form of two communicating cylinders or generating-chambers, A and B, one containing the acid-receptacle D, and the other provided with an outlet-cock and hose, E, the said cylinders being vertical when the apparatus is at rest, as represented in Fig. 2, but when in use being half inverted and strapped to the back of the operator, as shown in Fig. 1, in which position it can be conveniently and steadily carried. The cylinders or pressurechambers A and B communicate freely with each other through a pipe, at, and equalizingtube 1), and are partially filled with a mixture of soda and water. The acid-receptacle D may be of anysuitable material, and is in clined within the cylinder A for a purpose which will be rendered apparent hereafter. It consists, in the present instance, of a glass bottle, contained within a metal casing, d, which is pivoted at the points to, above the center of gravity of the bottle, to a metal frame, 0, to which the said casing and bottle are also secured at the bottom by a set-screw,

f. The frame c is secured to a screwplug, g, adapted to a threaded opening in the top of the cylinder A, from which it can, with the said frame and acid-receptacle, be removed. The mouth of the acid-receptacle is closed by a lead or rubber clothed metal stopper, h, swiveled to a" screw-rod, 7:, adapted to a nut in the plug g, and passing through a stuffingbox in the latter, (see enlarged section, Fig. 4.) The acid-receptacle D is filled (after withdrawing it from the cylinder with the casing and frame 6) by raising the swiveled stopper h and then withdrawing the set-screw f, so as to permit the said receptacle to be turned in the frame 6 upon its pivots or trunnions w, to a suflicient extent to enable access to be obtained to its mouth, and after filling the said receptacle it is restored to its original position in the frame, fastened by the set-screw, closed by the stopper, and again introduced into the cylinder. When in the latter, the contents of the acid-receptacle cannot be accidentally discharged into the soda and water, for if the stopper h be raised by unauthorized persons so as to expose the mouth of the receptacle, the latter cannot tilt over, even if not secured at the bottom, as the pivots :r are above its center of gravity, and there can be no communication established by overflow, as the level of the soda-water, indicated by the line 3/ in Fig. 2, is below the mouth of the acidreceptacle. In our improved apparatus there can also be no corrosion and injury of the operating parts, by contact with the liquid chemicals, for the said parts, when the extinguisher is charged but not in use, are at the top of the apparatus and above the level of the said liquids.

The extinguisher is ready for instant use on simply raising the stopper h and half inverting the whole apparatus, as shown in Fig. 8, the whole of the acid, in such case, flowing out of the downwardly-inclined receptacle D into the upper cylinder A, and by its combination with the soda instantly generating carbonicacid gas, this generation also taking place in the lower cylinder B to the same extent as in the upper, by reason of the free,

communications between the said cylinders. A very high pressure is thus created by the use of the pure acid, but the apparatus is able to resist a greater than the usual pressure,

owing to the comparatively small diameter of the cylinders, the capacity of the two latter combined, however, being greater than that of the ordinary single-cylinder extinguisher. The two cylinders, moreover, are much more convenient to carry than the ordinary single 2 v MWAM.

cylinder of larger diameter, as when half-inverted to a horizontal, or nearly horizontal, position, as shown in Fig. 1, they fit snugly against the back, and can be very conveniently and steadily carried. Another advantage possessed by my double-cylinder extinguisher is, that the acid is obliged to traverse the entire length of both cylinders before it can escape from the cock E, and becomes, therefore, thoroughly exhausted and neutralized before escaping.

I claim as my invention- 1. A fire-extinguisher in which two chambers communicating with each other, and both containing soda solutions, are combined with an acid-receptacle contained within one chamber, but common to both, substantially as set forth.

2. A fire-extinguisher having communicating chambers, and an acid-receptacle, and an exit-cock, all so arranged that the acid must traverse both chambers before reaching the cock, as set forth.

3. A fire-extinguisher in which the acid-re ceptacle is arranged in respect to the sodachamber or chambers substantially as set forth, so that the contents of the same shall be discharged into the said chamber or chambers on half-invertin g the apparatus, substantially as specified, and as illustrated in Fig. 3.

4. The acid-receptacle D, inclined in respect to the pressure-chamber, within which it is contained, for the purpose specified.

5. The acid-receptacleD, pivoted to a frame, 0, above its center of gravity, and arranged to be fixed to the said frame by a set-screw, f, or otherwise, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my. name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- WILLIAM K. PLATT.

Witnesses:

WM. A. STEEL, HUBERT HOWSON. 

